The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-09-16

sI' was heavy smat-
tering of humanity that laid no sort of
claim to responsibilities class recruited
almost exclusively from the warehouses;
snd jails of that dear old England,
Who so persistently refused to discon-
tmue carting her rnffians over to us in
;shiploads until we set our foot down
and declined to submit to it any longer.
And it was this class that the gold
fever hit with its fittest intensity. At
the first trumpet blast that sounded the
discovery of the Eldorado, the ruffians
of every nationality and grade of des-
peradoes took wing for the golden
cline. Some set out with grim reso-
luton to tramp the thousand miles or
so of distance; others, for the first
time in their lives, perhaps, started in
on spell of honest labor in order to
earn enough to buy horse and pick
axe: while still greater number
sought to procure their .stake money"
in fashions a great deal less legiti-
mate.
was young fellow of five-and-
twenty then, light-hearted, light-pock-
eted and without cncumbrances,' as
the matrimonial advertisements say.
| had the fever badly, but no more
than the rest of the set l ran with.
There was Jack Spellman, an ex-jew-
elry salesman from Birmingham; Fred
Brett, the black sheep of Devonshire
minister's family, and my brother ALT,
all of whom suffered with me when the
first gold news came. Our ideas did
not take definite shape for few weeks.
but at the end of that time report
came in of fabulous strike made by
seapegrace of fellow. an ex-butler of
Fred's father, who had left home with
the young fellow and accompanied him
in his travels Whereupon we four
got together in tavern one night and
counted up our wealth. We figured up
a total of f130-just about enough to
fit one of us out properly. But we de-
cided that two of us should go, and
played a game of cards to see
which of us it should be. The lot fell
to Fred Brett and myself, and by
way of comforting the two losers,
proposed that We adjourn a short dis
lance down the street to another tavern,
and have supper. 1t was a queer little
place we went to, in an alley, Just off
the one theater of the town, and when
we entered, the room was full of
mixed company of men and women,
not too respectable, who were eating,
drinking. smoking and talking, at a
number of round, wooden tables. We
ordered our supper, and when We were
about half way through with it, there
walked in through the open door soli-
tary woman. Everyone turned and
looked at her. She was a woman who
would have attracted attention any,
where; her features were frank and
open. and almost masculine in their
clcarness and decision of outline. She
was quite handsomely dressed. and no
one could help feeling surprised at see
ing her in such 4 place. As she passed
by my chair scanned her closely and |
marvelled within myself at the beauty |
of her complexion, which was pink and |
white like big sea shell. 1t was not un-
til after a few whispered words to the |
proprietor, and a nod of assent from him. |
she had walked to the far end |
of the room, mounted vacant |
chair and faced the company. that l |
though: detected in her face hunted |
expression. that gave to her great |
mournful black eyes look of dread of |
sort of look one sees i
in the face of a person just recovering
from a long and dangerous illness.
Well. the young woman-she looked
so at the outside-stood with folded
hands until dead, surprised hush fell
over the assemblage. and then began
to speak. In soft, girlish accents she
told how she had just heard of her
who was out at the gold-feld.
having fallen and broken one Of his
legs, and that she must-snd here she
clasped pair of slender hands pitc-
ously-have money to get to him. She
was not there to beg. she added. but
was going to sing song for their en-
and those who felt 50 dis
posed might give her whatever they
chose for her trouble.
Tae men were interested. They